Russia responds to rumours about Viagra for Russian soldiers in Ukraine

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to recent remarks from Pramila Patten, UN Secretary General Special Representative, who claimed that Russian military men supposedly used Viagra when committing sex crimes in Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Patten's remarks "go beyond reason and can not be taken seriously."

"Her words go beyond reason. In addition, the official is obviously acting outside her mandate and powers. At the same time, she does not hide the fact that in her judgments she relies on fragmentary data from an "independent international commission of inquiry into Ukraine" that Russia does not recognize. As she acknowledged herself, it was difficult to verify that information. In other words, we have yet another classic "highly likely case", only this time at the level of perverted fantasy," Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova called reports of the use of the substance deceitful and provocative. She drew a comparison to media statements during the Libyan crisis in 2011. Reuters once wrote that the troops loyal to [Libyan leader] Muammar Gaddafi practice rape, for which they stock up on Viagra. The West uses "the same patterns in its hybrid war," Zakharova wrote.

Earlier, Pramila Patten said in an interview with AFP that Russian servicemen were allegedly supplied with Viagra pills so that they would force themselves to rape Ukrainian women. Patten's remarks went viral in foreign media.

Earlier, Lyudmila Denisova, Ukraine's former Ombudsman for Human Rights, said that she composed fake reports about incidents of numerous sex crimes that Russian soldiers allegedly committed against Ukrainian women and children. According to Denisova, she did that for the sake of her country, 360 ​​TV channel said.

"Maybe I went too far, but I was trying to achieve the goal of convincing the world to provide weapons and put pressure on Russia," Lyudmila Denisova, ex-Ombudsman of Ukraine said.

In addition, as Denisova said, her reports about the alleged atrocities of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine helped politicians conduct effective dialogues in the parliaments of European countries. After those accusations, the European Union agreed to supply new military assistance to the Ukrainian army.

Zakharova, commenting on Denisova's statements, called her a sexually obsessed provocateur and demanded Western media should apologise for publishing her fake news.